Much Ado About Nothing (2013)

Much Ado About Nothing Synopsis

Shakespeare's classic comedy is given a contemporary spin in Joss Whedon's film, Much Ado About Nothing. Shot in just 12 days (and using the original text), the story of sparring lovers Beatrice and Benedick offers a dark, sexy and occasionally absurd view of the intricate game that is love.

Writer, director, and producer Joss Whedon hits the big screen again with this inventive, modern-day version of one of William Shakespeare's most beloved plays. Claudio (Fran Kranz) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof ) have just returned home to Messina after a successful campaign abroad. When earnest Claudio announces his adoration for the lovely Hero (Jillian Morgese), daughter of Messina's governor Leonato (Clark Gregg), the acid-tongued Benedick teases him mercilessly. Benedick's scorn for love is matched by that of his long-time nemesis and verbal sparring partner Beatrice (Amy Acker), Leonato's niece. As the lovestruck Claudio and Hero make plans to marry, Benedick and Beatrice resume the "merry war" of insults they have long waged. Yet there are many who believe that for all their antagonism - or even because of it - this pair of incessantly sniping cynics is surely meant to be a couple. As matchmaking schemes are put into play and disguises are donned, loathing and love soon prove to be close cousins.

From The Hangover Part III to Much Ado About Nothing and much, much more, there's actually a nice hodgepodge of films and television from a variety of different genres available this week. You can check out some of the other October 8 titles after the jump.

Despite opening in only five theaters, the black-and-white Shakespeare adaptation took in and impressive $183,400, which breaks down to $36,680 per-screen average. Moreover, grossing $15,027 on Saturday at New York's Lincoln Film Center Society Theater, the indie offering broke the esteemed venue's house record.

It was a familiar tune at the box office this weekend. A second rate, low budget, hardly worth your time horror flick raced to the top while a moderately interesting but poorly executed concept comedy (lead by two actors who are joining the ever growing group of middle age comedians struggling to find roles that match their age) floundered in with only modest success. All in all, there was a number one, but there were no winners.

Featuring an amazing ensemble cast stacked with Whedon regulars like Kranz, Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Reed Diamond, Clark Gregg and Sean Maher, the movie is a word-for-word adaptation of Shakespeare's great dark comedy set in modern times and shot entirely at Whedon's house.

There were some absolutely huge films released in 2012, from Skyfall to The Dark Knight Rises to The Hunger Games, but none were bigger than The Avengers. The movie became the third biggest hit of all time, and was the biggest mainstream hit of Joss Whedon’s career.

A modern interpretation of William Shakespeare's classic comedy, the film centers on the battling Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof), who pontificate on love, gender roles, and their growing attraction while attempting to do right by their respective best friends, imbrued in relationship troubles of their own. With the film's release fast approaching, Yahoo has unveiled its first trailer.

SXSW celebrates its 20th anniversary. This year’s fest runs from March 8-16, beginning with Burt Wonderstone and continuing with screenings of already announced (and eagerly anticipated) features like the Evil Dead remake and Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers.

It's far from a controversial statement to say that Joss Whedon should be crowned King of 2012. Not only did the writer/director deliver us The Avengers, one of the best superhero movies of all time that also happens to be the third most successful film in box office history, he also gave us The Cabin in the Woods, an absolutely amazing, inventive horror movie that was an under-seen gem...

Most people aren't Joss Whedon, who stepped from the enormous set of The Avengers to film a 10-day, black and white version of Much Ado About Nothing at his own house-- and, because he's Joss Whedon, actually made it an engaging and very funny adaptation of the William Shakespeare classic

Earlier this year Lionsgate did something great for Joss Whedon. After The Cabin in the Woods had been sitting on the shelf for months due to the MGM bankruptcy, Lionsgate came in, made a distribution deal, and got the movie into theaters this past March (and the film continues to stand as number one on my Best of 2012 list). Now the studio and the filmmaker are teaming up once again, as the company has once agreed to distribute one of Whedon's movies.

Though it's only been a few months since The Avengers set the new high bar for summer blockbuster success, Joss Whedon is already on his way back, and with a brand-new feature film that he managed to shoot while editing The Avengers. It makes you wonder if the guy ought to take a proper vacation one of these days,

Kicking things off will be Rian Johnson's Looper, the twisty time-travel thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, which will be the festival's opening film. Looper stole the show at Comic Con a few weeks ago, but the opening night spot at TIFF is a huge spotlight for what's essentially a genre movie from a director with only two other films behind him.

In Your Eyes will tell the story of two "polar opposites" who prove to be connected in strange, and no doubt romantic, ways. Whedon himself wrote the script, but directorial duties will fall to Brin Hill. Whedon's statement says that he wrote In Your Eyes a while ago but didn't have the apparatus to get it made without a studio involved. Now he has Bellwether Pictures to fill that gap, as well as a noted increase in "moxie."

This project feels like something film students would do on their Easter break, and that sort of intimate family environment, especially for these folks who have been friends for over a decade, means that we’re going to get something very special when the film finally finds theaters next year

Much Ado was shot in a mere 12 days on location in Santa Monica, California, which helps explain how Whedon and company kept it under wraps. Based on the description in the release, it sounds like this might be in the vein of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, mixing the Bard's original dialogue into a modern setting

Either someone is having fun with us, or Joss Whedon has made a movie based on Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing. What’s more, the cast list is pretty amazing, especially if you’re a fan of Joss Whedon’s TV series.